The Religious Right is Neither

The first article I will point you to is from the WaPo today discussing waning influence of the "Christian Coalition". It disects the financial and leadership woes of the formerly formidable organization founded by Pat "Kooky" Robertson and Ralph "Slimy" Reed.

The coalition's decline is a story that can perhaps best be told along biblical lines: It is the narrative of a group that wandered after the departure of its early leaders, lost faith in some of its guiding principles and struggled to keep its identity after entering the promised land -- in this case, the land of political influence.

The second article I want you to read is from the Philadelphia Daily News and is a story that I haven't seen getting much national notice. It's about the Pennsylvania Pastor's Network and how they are organizing voter registration drives from the pulpit, amongst other places. It's a grassroots effort that includes the support and participation of Little Ricky Santorum. Their goal is:

...to build a permanent infrastructure of like-minded clergy who:

1. Affirm the authority of Scripture
2. Take seriously Jesus' command to be "salt and light" to the culture
3. Want to encourage informed Christian thinking about contemporary social issues
4. Want to examine public policy issues without politicizing their pulpits, using well-prepared teaching and preaching resources
5. Want to engage their congregations in taking part in our political process on a non-partisan basis.

Oh yeah - totally non-partisan.

"But Wait!" you cry, "The IRS doesn't allow charitable organizations to participate in the political process." Ahhh, my naive, non-saved friend, they are way ahead of you on that one:

The Pennsylvania Pastors Network is a project of Let Freedom Ring, Inc., a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Eligible events and programs of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network are co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Family Institute, the Urban Family Council and the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. The latter three are 501 (c)(3) organizations, just as churches are, and we will also help pastors understand how to conduct the discussions and teaching that we propose -- to ensure that they do not run afoul of the IRS 's regulations limiting political involvement by charitable institutions.

Well, CREW doesn't agree and has filed multiple complaints with the IRS against these clowns.